


The price of freedom

by azziria



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-19
Updated: 2013-07-19
Packaged: 2017-12-20 17:35:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/889968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azziria/pseuds/azziria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"A proposition for you. Spend the night with me, in my bed, and I'll let your men go free."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The price of freedom

**Author's Note:**

> Holiday brain strikes again, I've absolutely no idea where this snippet of AU came from...

Sarah brings him breakfast, casting a nervous eye at the tattooed barbarian lying sprawled across his bed as she crosses the room to place the tray on the table by the window. 

"I brought enough for two, m'lord," she says, "I didn't know what you wanted..." 

She's brought their best, too, Danny can see: fine, soft bread, the freshest fruit, and this season's sharp white cheese, a feast fit for a king - or at least for a lord and his guest. He lays a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiles at her. "You did right, Sarah. This is how we treat guests in this house, whoever they may be." He feels her relax a little, and she drops him a small curtsey. "Thank you, m'lord." 

"You may go now. And tell my brother to feed McGarrett's men and make them ready - they'll be leaving with him in an hour or so." 

"Yes, m'lord." Another bobbed curtsey and she's gone, but not without another surreptitious look at his guest. There'll be plenty of gossip in the kitchens today, Danny can tell, and with good reason. 

He turns to where his guest lies sleeping, and takes a moment to appreciate what's on display: tanned skin inked with intricate designs stretched over impressive muscles. This man is a warrior as well as a chieftain, and his body shows it. A strong man, both physically and mentally, and a surprising one. 

A surprising man and a night of surprises, Danny thinks, the first being that McGarrett had come alone and unarmed, walking unannounced into the hall of his enemy (and heads will roll when Danny finds out how McGarrett got past his guards) to ask for the lives of his men. In that moment Danny saw why McGarrett's men serve him, why he inspires such loyalty and devotion, why they are prepared to follow him even unto death. 

Suddenly Danny _wanted_ him. Wanted him, and then the idea came into his head, and why not? 

"A proposition for you. Spend the night with me, in my bed, and I'll let your men go free." 

A ridiculous proposition, preposterous, and yet... McGarrett had looked at him, a look of cool calculation and assessment, eyes flicking up and down Danny's body, and then given a half-smile and nodded. 

"Agreed." 

And that was that. He'd seated McGarrett at his right hand and ordered meat and wine to be served, as for any honored guest, and McGarrett had eaten well but drunk little - facing his ordeal sober, then, not drinking to steel himself against what was to come - and said even less. Danny's own appetite had deserted him, save for what stirred in his gut at the thought of the man next to him and what was about to happen, what was promised and what intended. 

The meal had seemed long - too long - but at last it was done. 

"Come," Danny had said, rising from his chair and turning to go, a sign of power that he dared to turn his back on an enemy and a sign of trust that McGarrett would be true to his word and follow him (but trusting also his guards to be one step behind them, watching McGarrett's every move). McGarrett had followed him as bidden, footsteps sure and steady as they climbed the stairs to Danny's chamber, and then they were alone, facing one another in the candlelight. 

"Strip," Danny had ordered, mouth dry with anticipation, and McGarrett had done as he was told, unhurried and deliberate, eyes never leaving Danny's until he stood naked and unashamed before him, flickering light playing over tattooed skin, and Danny had thought that he'd never seen anything so beautiful. Then McGarrett had spread his arms wide, palms open towards Danny, and said: "Take what you want," and Danny had done exactly that. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

The man on the bed stirs into consciousness, stretching and flexing his muscles as he turns over, and Danny tucks away the memories of last night - how it had felt to have that long, muscular body arching beneath him, to sink himself deep into that tight heat, to _take_ what he'd wanted so much - and addresses the courtesies due to a guest. 

"Good morning," he says, gesturing towards the table "I trust you'll break your fast with me?" 

McGarrett looks at him, dark eyes wary and all trace of sleep gone. 

"My men?" 

"Will be ready to leave within the hour. With safe passage to my borders, as I promised." 

A moment's pause and then McGarrett nods, rolling off the bed and walking to the table, unselfconscious in his nakedness. He pads across the room with a grace of movement and economy of power that takes Danny's breath away, and Danny can't help it, he feels himself starting to harden again. He disciplines himself to ignore it, because the night is done; McGarrett has played his part and now Danny must honor their agreement. 

How does one make small talk in a situation such as this? 

Danny's always been a man of words as well as action, though - he'll manage something. "I hope you slept well?" Even as he says it he feels foolish, given the reason McGarrett was in his bed last night. 

His guest looks up from the loaf of bread he's dismembering and Danny can't tell if the expression on McGarrett's face is one of contempt or amusement, and that makes him even more uncomfortable. 

"After you'd finished having your way with me, you mean? Yes, I slept well. If I'd known that the accommodation in these halls was so well-served and their lord so welcoming then my men and I might have come calling sooner." 

Mockery, then, because surely those words can't be sincere coming from this man. A defensive response is the only answer. 

"I don't know how you could sleep so soundly in the house of an enemy." 

McGarrett pauses for a moment, and then: "Your reputation is that you're a man of your word. I trust you. And anyway," (this with a crooked half smile), "If we'd wanted to kill one another then we'd have done so last night." 

Danny can help but color at that, at the thought of last night and more surprises: that McGarrett had clearly lain with a man before, and had experience of what men did with each other between the sheets to give and receive pleasure... and that McGarrett had not been as unwilling a partner as Danny had expected... 

McGarrett had not been unwilling... McGarrett had come to his bed, a clan chieftain giving up his honor for the lives of a scouting party... yes, and that was the measure of the man, but also... there was more here, if Danny had the sense and wit to see it. Time to grasp the nettle and take a chance. 

"I have another proposition for you." 

That earns him McGarrett's attention and a quirk of the eyebrow. 

"A more... _conventional_ one this time." 

"Go on." 

"A treaty. Return here with those you trust to advise you and we'll negotiate a peace settlement." 

McGarrett regards him with the same look of cool calculation and assessment as he had in the hall last night - and Danny knows now what that look means, how sharp the mind is behind it, working the odds - and finally nods. 

"Agreed." 

Danny feels something hopeful leap inside him. A peace treaty will benefit both their peoples, that's his main concern here, but Danny has to admit to himself that anything that will bring the chieftain of Clan McGarrett back to his halls (and, he's fairly confident, back to his bed) is a very definite added bonus. 

Whatever his brother will say about it, this is a good day. 

Danny holds out his hand. "We should clasp hands, seal our agreement." 

McGarrett pushes up from the table and steps towards him, grin turned wolfish now. "I can think of better ways to seal an accord..." He grasps Danny's arm and pulls him in close, other hand sliding down to cup Danny's ass. "I believe we still have an hour, my lord Daniel, if you care to begin negotiations..." 

So Danny does exactly that.


End file.
